Machine for binding books



y 9, 1953 s. M. PENNER 2,638,609

- MACHINE FOR BINDING BOOKS Filed Oct. 23, 1948 .s Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1953 s. M.- PENNER 2,638,609

' MACHINE FOR BINDING BOOKS Filed Oct. 23', 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 2 5 7 A ll INIENII'OR. .56 Q r 5d1 1MPe1mer 'Ma 19,1953 s, M. PENNER 2,638,609

MACHINE FOR BINDING BOOKS Filed Oct. 25, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet s itions deformsthe said binder. I

Patented May 19, 1953 1 Sidney M. Bronx, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Rudolf lauber, Brook- Application This-invention relates to abook binding I nia- I chine, especially adapted -,for :use; the; spiral book binding industry.

Presently known machines; used for thegspiral binding of bookshaveproved tobe unsatisfactory when plastic bindings-were desired. gwire bindings possess an, inherent rigidity whichbnables them to be driven throughpthe perforations in a sheaf of papers; despite irregularities inlthe register of the said perforations. Plasticbinding, however, tends to wander out of the holes because of the extreme flexibility of the material. i It has thus beenfound necessary to orient the perforations in thesheaf so thatvthepath therethrough corresponds toythe portion of the spiral T .binding which will pass ,through it. The sheaf a of pages must then be held-in this position until the binding operation is completed.

Another difficulty which .has been encountered in, usingplastic bindingsis the tendencycof, vthe plasticto wanderout of ;its spiral path as it is being driven througl r thebooka This characteristic of plastic bindings is, amplified ifthemeans used for driving the lastic through the perfora- Accordingly, the objectof this invention iszto provide a binding machineand a method which a will overcomethe aboveand other objections, and perform successfully when plastic bindings, are

desired. 1 H Another object of this invention is to provide ,an inexpensive binding machinecapable vof I handling a wide variety of binding sizes;

A further object of this invention ,is to ini gcrease the rate of spiral binding by. decreasing the number of operations required. j A feature of this invention isits novelpilot bar construction for guiding the plastic bindings.

H A further featureof this invention is the provision of retractable hooks toprient theb-inding perforations. j 4 v A feature of this invention is the clamping -me ns o1di the sheaf untilbound...

A further feature of this inventionis thereonstructionof the iguiding comb for maintaining the path of the binding material. k v a The invention consists of, the construction,

combination and arrangement-of parts as-herein illustrated, I described and claimed.

The accompanyingdrawings, forminga part hereof; illustrate o neyform of embodiment. of the invention; in which drawings similarreference characters designateicorresponding parts, and in wh ch;

i1 iszaffront eievational newt: bind-t machine. according the clampin means-shown in a somewhat elefgjctober 23, 194 8, sci-faint. 56,143 I ":.2 o1aims. (oLn-i) to this invention with vated :position for d awing.

the .purposeof clarifying the Figure 2 is View sideelevation of thebindingmachine, taken from the right hand sideof F e forthe sake of clarity;

of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a viewin perspective, somewhat enlarged, of thehook retracting mechanism of the binder -with several parts shown in dashed lines Figure 4 is a fragmentary view somewhat enlarged, showing the bindingdrivemechanism, ac-

cording to this invention.

- Figure 5 isasectional view taken on line 5-5 Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view,. somewhat enlarged of thev pilot bar construction,

Figure 7 is a fragmentaryview, somewhat enlarged, ofthe, hook mechanism, according to this invention. h a Figure 8 is afragmentary view on the scale shown inFi'gure fLshowing thehook mechanis in the retracted position.

- A Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical section some- -what enlarged taken online 9 -9 of Figure 2. Figure 10 is a fragmentary view infront eleva- Iv tion of a boundboohaccording to this invention. Referring to, the drawings, andparticularl-y. to

Figure 1,- l I indicates a support table to the-top of whichare secured two spaced upright mem- ;bers ;l 2,- l3, form ng aframe for the machine. A

rotatable bar l4 is carried at each end thereof Qby the upright members 12, I3 at a :point spaced Qfrom the top of the said upright members 12, l3.

s The bar l4 supports a clamping device 15,.hereiinafter more fully described. The left hand end of the bar l4 carries a crank arm IB- attached theret o.: .-'1his arm lfiservies to prevent thelon- V540; gitudinal, -rnovement of the bar 14 and. also operates,- ingconiunction with a spring Il, toma-in- .tain the clamping-device ineither the opened or closed position. The position of the arm lfiupon the bar I4 is such that when the clamping de- The is b o wn t e rm l6...m s a the vertical position and the coil spring-i1 is enabled to pull it down, thereby tighteningthe I hold of the iclamping device I 5. When the clamp- ,ing device i5 is raised.. it rotatesthearm leto a lcausing .the spring l! to hold the said clamping :d vi a n ano 'en Q on-- he pressure of the ;clam.pin,g, device [15.15 further increased when in point past the vertical the opposite direction,

; theclosed. positionaby; a: linkage l8 secured to the lright hand end .oftthe bar 14. .--.said linkage 18 1s the hold-down clamping device I against the book 62.

The operation of the binding machine can be followed from the foregoing description. The motor 28 is started. With the hooks 3|, 32 in the extended position shown in Figure 7, the operator places a sheaf of pages to be bound so that the holes thereof are engaged thereon. -A length of binding material such as a helical plastic strip M) is next slipped upon the pilot bar and given a slight start in the groove 55. The clamping device IE is then brought down manually, or by some suitable linkage associated with the treadle, until it bears against the top of the book 42. The spring 17 and the arm 16 co-operate to hold the book 62 between the two combs 35, 52.

The foot treadle is then depressed, causing the hook bar 2 5 to rotate and withdraw the hooks -32 from the holes 41 of the book 42. This action also tightens the hold of the clamping device l5, as previously described. As the treadle is carried down further, the blocks 2!, 22 are caused to rotate, thereby bringing the revolving roller 26 into contact with the top of the binder 40, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The roller 26 spins the binder 41] through the groove 55 in the pilot bar 53, thereby causing the said binder 49 to twist its way between the comb members 36, 52, and consequently through the holes 41 of the book 42.

When all of the binder has left the pilot bar 53, the book will be bound, as shown in Figure 10. The treadle is then released. This operation removes the roller 26 from its position above the pilot bar 53, while at the same time allowing the coil spring 64 to expand, loosening the hold of the clamping device l5. The bound book can thus drop into a chute or receptacle (not shown). As the treadle is brought back into the original position by the springs 66, the hook bar 24 rotates until the upper arm 58 of the stop 56 strikes the extended end of the pivot bar [9. The machine is then back in its original position, with the hooks projecting through the teeth of the fixed comb member 36 ready to have another book placed thereon.

It is clear that the size of the bindings may be varied by changing the size of the pilot bar.

The retractable hooks 3|, 32 not only serve to engage the book to be bound, but act to orient the perforations therein, so that they offer a minimum of resistance to the helical passage of the binder therethrough. The removal of the hooks 3|, 32 during the actual binding operation also provides the maximum space for the passage of the binder 40 through the holes 4|.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United states, is:

1. A machine for spirally binding a sheaf of papers into a book comprising, a base, an inclined work table on the said base, a lower clamp jaw carried upon the work table, an upper clamp jaw secured to an arm swingably mounted upon the base so as to permit the jaws to be brought together to hold the sheaf of papers, said sheaf having a series of perforations therein along the edges to be bound, a comb member upon the edge of each jaw adapted to support the sheaf adjacent the perforations, a plate carried on the outside of each comb member and parallel therewith to confine the travel of the binding material, hooks swingably carried by the base intermediate the comb teeth of the lower clamp jaw and projecting above the surface of the work table, said hooks being retractable so as to remove them from the jaws after the sheaf has been grasped by the jaws, said hooks having a curvature and inclination suitable for alinging the perforations in the sheaf to correspond with the path of a spirally shaped binding material and means movably mounted upon the base adjacent the lower clamp jaw to drive a binding material through the aligned perforations in the sheaf.

2. A machine for spirally binding a sheaf of papers into a book comprising, a base, an inclined work table on the said base, a lower clamp jaw carried upon the work table, an upper clamp jaw secured to an arm swingably mounted upon the base so as to permit the jaws to be brought together to hold the sheaf of papers, said sheaf having a series of perforations therein along the edges to be bound, a comb member upon the edge of each jaw adapted to support the sheaf adjacent the perforations, a plate on the outside of each comb member and parallel therewith, hooks swingably carried by the base intermediate the comb teeth of the lower clamp jaw and projecting above the surface of the work table, said hooks being retractable so as to remove them from the jaws after the sheaf has been grasped by the jaws, said hooks having a curvature and inclination suitable for aligning the perforations in the sheaf to correspond with the path of a spirally shaped binding material and means including a helically grooved pilot bar and a driven roller movably mounted upon the base adjacent the lower clamp jaw to drive a binding material through the aligned perforations in the sheaf.

SIDNEY PENNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,166,519 *Catini July 18, 1939 2,300,544 Freundlich Nov. 3, 1942 

